REVIEW: LITERALLY BY LUCY KEATING.

Title: Literally
Author: Lucy Keating
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: April 11th 2017 by HarperTeen
Source: ARC provided by the publisher
Pages: 256
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Fantasy

Synopsis:
A girl realizes her life is being written for her in this unique, smart love story that is Stranger Than Fiction for fans of Stephanie Perkins.

Annabelle’s life has always been Perfect with a capital P. Then bestselling young adult author Lucy Keating announces that she’s writing a new novel—and Annabelle is the heroine.

It turns out, Annabelle is a character that Lucy Keating created. And Lucy has a plan for her.

But Annabelle doesn’t want to live a life where everything she does is already plotted out. Will she find a way to write her own story—or will Lucy Keating have the last word?

The real Lucy Keating’s delightful contemporary romance blurs the line between reality and fiction, and is the perfect follow-up for readers who loved her debut Dreamology, which SLJ called, “a sweet, quirky romance with appealing characters.

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Been on a reading slump these past several weeks that I just cannot get into anything that I read. I was not really into any contemporary but I decided against it so I picked up Literally. This was my first Lucy Keating book and was excited to start it. Now I have mixed feelings.

Annabelle's life is perfect until one day, everything in her world starts to shatter. Her parents announced they are separating and they are selling their home. It shocks her when author Lucy Keating visits their school and told her class she's writing a new book which sounded so much alike AB's life. AB's even more shocked when Lucy confirms she's a fictional character in Lucy's book.

Bulleted thoughts/Questions:

• Well. There are a lot of inconsistencies in the story which irk me so much.
• How Ava easily believed her when she told her she thinks they are all a fictional character, meaning she doubted their existence?
• AB is a bit girl-hating
• She has OCD but nowhere in the book it was acknowledged?
• Ava is against the sidekick trope but... she's just a sidekick all throughout the story
• Will was just too fucking perfect
• Wait - is this paranormal or fantasy? HAHA because I couldn't really tell
• If Lucy acts God and they hated it, then why did AB act God-like at the end?
• How did they fight the author?
• Logistics of this? Is Lucy continuously writing? Thinking? Drafting?
• I don't mind the love triangle in this story because I think it's cute
• Elliot is a douche though.
• How can the author not know anything in the bathroom?
• Will knowing he's a fictional character is awkward
• Good concept though but I felt like there are a lot of areas in need of improvement/development
• I didn't get anything from the story? Like, what did I just read, really?
• Graduation speech was so lame
• This is a two-star rating for me but slated it to three because can we just talk about Elliot for one minute please? 

Literally is another hit or miss type of story. If it wasn't for the intriguing bookish plot (and Elliot), I don't know if I would have even finished this. It's something that doesn't stick well and somethiing I wouldn't talk about much either.

Thank you, Harpercollins International Sales for the ARC!

"I think you have to try your best to find your best self, and the person who makes you your best self."

"I don't do this because it was my plan; it was my plan because I love it. But I'm determined no to stick to it too closely. I have no idea what surprises the future will hold. Now my plan is to follow my dreams. My plan is to surprise myself, and write my own story. I hope, whatever age you are, each one of you chooses to do the same"